Friday, July 17, 2009

So who is behind these false allegations?

The man behind the allegations is a fringe activist named Russ Rector. He is a well-known crank that most responsible reporters have learned to ignore. Even other activists criticize Rector.

Rector has proclaimed dolphins more dangerous than sharks.

When he didn't get his way with the late Gov. Lawton Chiles, Rector told a reporter that when Chiles had his heart attack: "I hope it hurt when Lawton Chiles was laying on the ground dying." (New Times July 8, 1999)

Rector has vowed to close down the Palm Beach Zoo. It is a vow he makes about all his imagined enemies.

He brags about contacting WPEC and says that he was "directing" one of the zoo's employees and "she did everything I asked her to do. He also acknowledged that, "I was setting you up."

This and a great deal more information was offered to WPEC. They refused to hear, see or read any additional information that we offered to provide.

1 comment:

  1. Channel 12 has entered a new age of sensationalism. They have lost any pretense of unbiased news by allowing this harmful "investigative report" to proceed. How very disappointing it is that one misguided individual can put this kind of misinformation in the news. This is a gross insult to the people who work and volunteer at the Palm Beach Zoo. I have been associated as a volunteer for almost five years and have yet to see anything but the highest level of animal care available. Zoo keepers are animal lovers first and foremost. They work long hours for very modest pay because they care about the animals. Implying otherwise is just plain wrong!
    I have visited the commissary literally hundreds of times and found it to be consistenly clean and well maintained. The animal diets are nutritionally sound and prepared in an appealing and healthful presentation. Channel 12 is simply off base. It is probably not surprising that Channel 5 is the most watched news channel in the Palm Beaches. It appears that it is for good reason.

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